Hilt & Stella Kelly On-line Video Wednesday, December 15 at 7 p.m.

 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861. 

REMEMBERING HILT & STELLA KELLY

The much-loved Delaware county musicians, Hilt & Stella Kelly, who provided residents with toe-tapping tunes and lively square dances for over 60 years, are featured in a video interview from 2003 that has not often been seen in our area.  Videographer Bob Nisbet interviewed the Kellys 18 years ago, documenting their family history and dozens of fiddle tunes and square dance calls.  He has given Catskills Folk Connection permission to present an edited version of the two-hour video recording.  It will be aired on-line at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 15 at 7 p.m. the Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861.

The Kellys bring together the traditions of both the Catskills' multi-generational farming population and the rich ethnic diversity drawn to the region in the pst century.  In the interview at their home off Big Red Kill Road in Bedell, a few miles outside of Fleischmanns NY.  Hilt shares his family history that goes back to the Revolutionary War and Stella tells about growing up on her family's boarding house farm during the Depression.  With time out to raise their family, Hilt and Stella followed their musical bent for most of their lives.  with Hilt on fiddle and Stella playing piano, together they led the band "Hilt Kelly & the Sidekicks," which included Don Strausser on lead guitar and Don Irwin on rhythm guitar.  Hilt was the main caller, but all three men were prize-winning square dance callers.

    

The 2003 video contributes to the existing fiddle tunes and square dance calls recorded by Hilt & Stella Kelly, but adds significant insights about the musicians and about square dancing itself.  For example, the video includes a rare discussion and demonstration of the tunes and calls that were used to structure traditional square dances.  Hilt tells how dances were offered in a series called 'changes" that featured groups of three different types of tunes and associated dances throughout the evening.  Nisbet's intuitive interviewing and attention to detail results in clear documentation of this important aspect of square dance history.

“It was always our goal,” says Catskills Folk Connection folklorist, Ginny Scheer, “to document Hilt’s and Stella’s square dances. Since they have passed on we have continued to perpetuate their square dance tradition by scheduling live in-person square dances, when Covid conditions permit.” In the meantime, Catskills Folk Connection  offers online presentations about traditional music and dance, with more more lectures about square dancing and mini-videos of dance instruction coming up this winter. You can learn more about Catskills Folk Connection’s programs here on this blog.

For the Kellys friends and followers, viewing the 2003 video will be a chance to be again in Hilt’s and Stella’s company and to enjoy many familiar tunes and stories. For those who never got to meet them, the video will be a treat, rich in Catskills history, local expressions, and this region’s traditional music and dance. To join the presentation at 7 pm on Wednesday, December 15, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861. The meeting link will also be published in Catskills Folk Connection’s FaceBook page. For more information, contact Ginny Scheer 607-326-4206 or gscheer.mcs@gmail.com.

Tuesday, October 26 Repeat Program

I am planning this week's edition of Catskills Folk, my radio program on WIOX, as a repeat of my previous program. On October 12 I encountered unexpected problems playing the music I had prepared for you    featuring the performers at Roxbury Arts Group's Fiddlers! event, which had just taken place.  Mysteriously all the mp3 files - which I had tested at home prior to the program - would not play on the air.

I've looked into it and I believe this refusal to play was the result of an incompatibility between Microsoft on my Dell laptop and the Apple computers at the radio station.  It has to do with the Properties of the musical file and whether or not the file is set to be opened with iTunes or with Microsoft's 'Groove Music."  For this week I'll save the files I wanted to play for you, but this time in both formats.  And I will go to the station to test them.

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The theme for October 12's program was to share with you samples of performances by the the three ensembles who were on stage that Sunday afternoon at Fiddlers!.  There were three groups: An urban Cajun band "The Empty Bottle Ramblers"; two performers of old-time music from "The Onlies"; and a threesome that brings together musicians whose roots run deep in Cajun and Creole traditions.   

Even with the corrected music tracks , there are two recordings that I was unable to download in the first place.  They are excellent recordings, one of the "Onlies" and another featuring two of the Cajun/Creole threesome. And because I won't be able to play them on the air on Tuesday, October 26, I am including the links to these recordings here.  

The Onlies

Paul Brown, on his radio program "Across the Blue Ridge" on WFDD, presented all four "Onlies": Leo Shannon, Vivian Leva, Sami Braman, and Riley Calcagno, with selections from their May 17 performance at the Muddy Creek Music Hall.  The recording quality is excellent, and the program includes an interview with the artists.  The link for this recording is below.

https://wfdd.org/story/across-blue-ridge-103-onlies-tradditionalist-interpreters-and-explorers     

The Onlies' segment  begins at about 34 minutes 50 seconds from the end.  

Jourdan Thibodeaux and Cedric Watson  

Jourdan and Cedric were featured in the summer of 2021 in a recording called "The Acadian Session; Shelter in Place."   Jourdan sings and plays the fiddle, and Cedric, a true multi-instrumentalist, plays the fiddle, the accordion, and a number of other instruments - and he sings.

The recording is about 30 minutes long, and comes with a log - a kind of measuring stick with the beginning of each tune marked on it.  If it were a long-playing vinyl record, I'd say that the marking tells you where to "drop the needle."  I think you'll enjoy all of it, including their exploration of their cultural roots at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45DMndPXvN4

While these recordings are a treat, I hope you will listen on Tuesday night at 7 pm to Catskills Folk for more music by these three outstanding groups of musicians.

See you on the radio! ---- Ginny Scheer

 

   

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Free Concert Saturday October 9 in Stamford

 

The Tremperskill Boys Labor Day Weekend: First in-person concert since 2019

Kicking off the traditional celebration of fall in the mountains, Catskills Folk Connection and the Roxbury Arts Group are sponsoring a free concert in Stamford NY on October 9 at 2 p.m. The Tremperskill Boys, the well-known square dance band, will play a program of Catskills tunes, Irish and Scottish melodies and original and popular songs in Veterans Memorial Park at the intersection of Stamford's Main Street and Railroad Avenue. The Tremperskill Boys band was founded in 2008 by John Jacobson, named for the creek that runs past his home in Andes. Playing together for concerts and square dances are John Jacobson fiddle, calling and vocals; Dane Scudder fiddle, banjo and calling, Chris Carey banjo, Sheila Addison guitar, Amy Lieberman string bass, and Ginny Scheer silver flute. Though the genders are evenly divided, the band decided to keep their “Boys” name. They say “We’re an old-time string band – but we’re not all strings; and we’re the Tremperskill Boys – but we’re not all boys!”   In the past, the Tremperskill Boys opened Roxbury Arts Group's annual Fiddlers! festival with a performance and a traditional Catskills square dance. Covid infection levels still prevent square dancing, but not outdoor concerts. This concert is offered in anticipation of Sunday's Fiddlers! 28 event taking place at Roxbury Arts Group's Hilt & Stella Kelly Hall on October 10 from 3 to 6 pm, featuring a constellation of stellar Cajun bands. More: www.roxburyartsgroup.org. Join the Tremperskill Boys this Saturday to immerse yourself in the Catskill region's musical heritage and think about the time, soon we hope, when we can square dance safely again. Bring a chair for socially-distanced seating. If rain interferes, the concert will move to a local indoor space. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available. TRADITIONAL MUSIC UPDATES FROM MUSIC ON THE DELAWARE Of interest to traditional music lovers, in addition to Saturday's concert by the Tremperskill Boys, are two concerts offered by Music on the Delaware. One concert is virtual, and the other in-person at the Walton Theatre. John Kirk and Trish Miller Tonight October 3 at 6 pm John Kirk and Trish Miller will entertain with their internationally-known multiple talents that include singing, fiddle tunes, and - hopefully - Trish's prize-winning clogging. John and Trish are also traditional music educators and dance organizers and callers. Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89798198300. Also available at www.musiconthedelaware.org. John Potocnik and Tom White A Coffeehouse-at-the-Theatre performance Sunday October 17 from 6 to 8 pm will feature a mostly original but also traditional instrumental concert. It will take place live, in-person in the Theatre's parlor, but will be simultaneously streamed on-line. John Potocnik is a well-known master fiddler and Tom White is a multi-instrumentalist and song composer. Their concert will highlight fiddle tunes written about people, places and critters from where they live. Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89798198300. Also available at www.musiconthedelaware.org.

Catskills Folk Connection is at the Cauliflower Festival September 25

 I hope you will join me, folklorist Ginny Scheer, at Catskills Folk Connection's booth at the Cauliflower Festival, 11am - 4 pm on Saturday, September 25, in Margaretville, behind the Freshtown supermarket. 

The foodways theme for this fall is fermented foods.  At the Cauliflower Festival you will be able to view selections from my field interview with Robert Ford about making sauerkraut and listen to my radio interview with Madalyn Warren about making kimchi, both fermented Catskills products.  I will even have a crock with cabbage getting ready to ferment!  

In addition, I will acquaint visitors with Catskills Folk Connection's 2020 and 2021 programs by offering individual viewings of previous programs in video, audio and photos.  These will include field interviews with tradition bearers, folk artists and square dance musicians, as well as presentations of works from "Folk Art in Wood," our successful in-person exhibit from 2020.

Catskills Folk Connection's "Folk Art in Wood" exhibit 2020

Carved goose and two ducks by Joe Dibble

Our booth is usually under the pavilion. Look for the orange tablecloth.

See you at the Cauliflower Festival!

Our First In-Person Concert Was a Great Success

On Saturday September 4 Catskills Folk Connection sponsored an outdoor concert by the Tremperskill Boys, held under a tent at Dirty Girl Farm in Andes, NY,  About forty people attended, sitting in socially distanced chairs, to hear the band present a lively afternoon/evening of Catskills tunes and Irish and Scottish favorites. John Jacobson offered songs: some were his original compositions, and some were well-known popular songs.  

The Tremperskill Boys usually play for Catskills Folk Connection square dances but Covid restrictions prevent us from offering dances right now.  Like singing together, square dancing is one of ways most liable to spread coronavirus germs.  So until we can dance again together, we will be offering concerts as long as possible and on-line special presentations later in the fall-winter when concerts may become less do-able.

The Tremperskill Boys have been playing together for over a decade, at first backing up Hilt Kelly and the Sidekicks at Catskills Folk Connection dances. At the same time the Tremperskill Boys developed a solid reputation playing for social occasions and concerts.  They have perpetuated the square dance tradition by playing and calling square dances on a regular basis (pre-Covid), ensuring that existing and future generations of Catskills residents - once the virus completely retreats - will be able to enjoy this age-old pastime.  

Today's Tremperskill Boys consist of John Jacobson, founder, fiddler and caller; Dane Scudder, fiddler and caller, and occasional banjo player; Chris Carey on banjo, Sheila Addison with guitar, and Amy Lieberman plays bass.  Catskills Folk Connection's folklorist, Ginny Scheer, often sits in as flutist at square dances and gets to play with the band for other occasions.

Dirty Girl Farm, run by Cyndi Wright and her husband, Lester Bourke, is first and foremost a goat dairy farm, but the couple goes way beyond mere milk production. They specialize in on-farm creation of goat dairy products like yogurt and cheese, available with other products in their all-refrigerated farm store, and they run a farm stand featuring local foods.  

Visit Dirty Girl Farm's Facebook page where Cyndi posts beautiful photos of local foods, both from her farm and from nearby producers. Dirty Girl Farm, 114 Delaware Ave., Andes  NY  13731, is the best place around to dip into and then connect with the western Catskills farm-to-table network. 

Watch this blog for announcements of future Catskills Folk Connection events and presentations.  We are planning an outdoor concert in October in Stamford for Roxbury Arts Group, and possibly a dance in November, Covid-willing.  Other possibilities include more on-line speakers about local and regional music and dance traditions, and other kinds of gatherings in-person and on-line.  Stay tuned!

Catskills Folk Connection is sponsored by the Roxbury Arts Group and is funded in part by the NYS Council on the Arts Folk Art Program; by Gov. Hochul and the NYS Legislature; by Action and Vision grants from Humanities NY; and by the O'Connor Foundation. 

In Person Concert September 4, 2021, at 5 pm

TREMPERSKILLL BOYS IN-PERSON FIRST TIME SINCE 2019! Covid Update: After declining from a high earlier in August, the rate of positive tests and Covid cases has recently started to rise. Therefore, Catskills Folk Connection has stayed with its alternative plans for a concert, not a square dance, on Saturday, September 4 with Covid precautions. See below. NOTE THE NEW STARTING TIME 5 P.M. We will continue to try to plan dances in the future.

Tremperskill Boys put on a square dance at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts a few years ago. The Tremperskill Boys, will offer a lively free outdoor concert of Catskills tunes, original songs, plus Irish and Scottish melodies, on Saturday, September 4 at 5 pm, sponsored by Catskills Folk Connection. Please note the time change to 5 pm. This way you can get supper from the food truck, Health on Wheels, which will be there even after the concert begins. The concert will take place under a tent on the lawn at Dirty Girl Farm, 114 Delaware Avenue, Andes, NY 13731. Some chairs will be provided, but for your comfort bring your own lawn chairs. Should rain interfere, the concert will be postponed. Covid precautions are planned. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available at the gate, and the audience area will indicate social distances. Originally, Catskills Folk Connection had planned to offer on this date its first in-person square dance since 2019. But the Delta variant made us change our plans, and we will hold the concert instead. As soon as the infection rate falls sufficiently, even if it is in the depths of winter, CFC will offer in-person dances on short notice. The Tremperskill Boys band was founded in 2008 by John Jacobson with several string players, and was named for the creek that runs past John's home in Andes. In addiiton to John's fiddle the band included a guitar, banjo, and mandolin – later adding string bass, button accordion and flute, and an occasional keyboard. The current group has been together for many years: John Jacobson fiddle and calling; Dane Scudder fiddle, banjo and calling, Chris Carey banjo, Sheila Addison guitar, Amy Lieberman string bass, and Ginny Scheer silver flute. Though the genders are evenly divided, the band decided to keep their “Boys” name. They say “We’re an old-time string band – but we’re not all strings; and we’re the Tremperskill Boys – but we’re not all boys!” The concert will include a wide variety of tunes – some fast and toe-tapping and others more mellow. They will be drawn from a repertoire of Catskills tunes, especially ones learned from Hilt Kelly, Irish and Scottish jigs and reels common in northern and southern regions, and original songs by John Jacobson. John Jacobson's songs are thoughtful. "Red Hill" reflects the experience of Catskills farmers in the face of “progress,” and "We'll Say a Prayer" is a meditation on on the prevalence of personal loss. If you enjoy traditional music there is something for everyone to like in this concert: danceable tunes, engaging melodies, and wonderful songs. Join us on Sept. 4 at 5 pm. Dirty Girl Farm is going all out to make this Labor Day event memorable.

See us on Facebook

For more information visit CFC’s blog www.catskillsfolkconnection.blogspot.com or contact Ginny Scheer at 607-326-4206 or gscheer.mcs@gmail.com.

Catskills Folk Connection is sponsored by the Roxbury Arts Group and is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts, by Action and Vision Grants from HumanitiesNY, by Gov. Hochul and the NYS Legislature, and by the O'Connor Foundation

LINK Wednesday August 25 at 7 pm "Diversity iin Square Dance"

Tony Parkes

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861

Meeting number 414 085 861

Tony Parkes, the nationally and internationally known caller from Massachusetts, will present an on-line talk for Catskills Folk Connection on Wednesday, August 25 at 7 p.m. Tony and his wife Beth Parkes have presented dances and offered workshops in 35 US states and in several countries in Europe, and Tony has written two books on calling and dancing. According to the Square Dance History Project, Tony’s calling has “specialized in old and new contra dances, traditional and contemporary New England squares, and squares from the 1950s (arguably the Golden Age of recreational square dancing).” He has long been interested in square dance history and has unearthed “long-forgotten dances and developed an appreciation for the breadth and depth of American dance traditions.

Tony’s current research has focused recently on inclusiveness in the square dance tradition, especially by people of color in North America, from the Caribbean to above the Arctic Circle. His talk, entitled “Diversity in Square Dance,” will review the influence of African and African American music in the history of American traditional dance – and especially the development of calling dances – and then will use lively videos to visit a wide variety of living traditions of square dance. Among them will be Jamaican dancers, US Western club square dancers, community dances in far north indigenous communities, and dance performances by First Nations people in Canada.

Join Catskills Folk Connection on August 25 at 7 p.m. for this review of the vibrant living tradition of square dancing in unexpected places. The link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861 For those who can attend Zoom meetings with just the meeting number it is 414 085 1861. 

 For more information, contact Ginny Scheer gscheer.mcs@gmail.com or 607-326-4206.

Catskills Folk Connection is sponsored by the Roxbury Arts Group and is funded in part by NYSCA Folk Arts Program, by Gov. Cuomo and the NYS Legislature, by Humanities NY and by the O’Connor Foundation.